ASIA COFFEE-Lacklustre trading in Vietnam, Indonesia flips to premium

By Phuong Nguyen and Mas Alina Arifin

HANOI, March 13 (Reuters) - Farmers in Vietnam held off from selling this week despite healthy demand, while in Indonesia prices flipped into premium on scarce supplies, traders said on Thursday.

Farmers in the Central Highlands, Vietnam's largest coffee-growing region, sold beans COFVN-DAK at 131,000-133,000 dong ($5.14-$5.22), compared with last week's 133,000-134,000 dong.

"It is very hard to buy now. Farmers are not selling. At the same time, alternative sources of beans from Brazil are thin," said a trader based in the coffee belt, adding it was still months until Indonesian harvest.

"Farmers may still have 30% to 40% of their stock left. They are hoping for higher price."

LIFFE robusta coffee for May LRCc2 closed at $5,508 per metric ton on Wednesday.

Traders also offered 5% black and broken-grade 2 robusta COFVN-G25-SAI at a discount of $150-$200 to the May LIFFE contract.

U.S.-based broker Marex estimated last week the crop in Vietnam, the second largest global coffee producer, increasing 2.2 million bags to 29.8 million bags.

In Indonesia, Sumatran robusta coffee beans were offered at a $80 premium this week, an increase from $180 discount a week ago to the April contract, "as beans are scarce," one trader based in the region said.

($1 = 25,490.0000 dong)